When the beaches of Turks and Caicos came into view from the plane, I knew my three-day vacation was going to be just the getaway I needed. I set out with a group of friends to celebrate my good friend Adam Neumann’s birthday. It was my first time visiting the island and staying at the Parrot Cay resort.

We spent much of the first day lounging on the beach and taking in the beautiful surroundings. The next day I woke up to incredible ocean views, ate breakfast and headed out in golf carts to our boat for a day of wake surfing. Already an avid surfer, I tried my luck — not bad for my first time surfing behind a boat! Following the water sports, lunch served poolside was the perfect boost of energy before beach volleyball.

That night, we celebrated Adam’s birthday with a banquet style dinner on the beach with music by DJ Noah. The sunsets in Turks and Caicos are some of the most vibrant I’ve seen and created the perfect backdrop to the evening’s party. Conversation was excellent, and the wine was even better. We concluded the evening with a bonfire and birthday toasts all around.

The next day it was back to the beach until it was time to head to the airport. A tiny jet took us back to the city, and now I’m already thinking about my next vacation.